Abstract
Meadowfoam (Limnanthes spp.), like jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis), promises to be a new agronomic substitute for sperm whale oil. Original bulk seed materials of four Limnanthes species from 35 collection sites were studied for interpopulational variation in fatty acid composition, oil content, and seed weight. Analyses of variance indicated significant interpopulational differences in the relative content of 22:1 and 22:2 fatty acids for the three species L. alba, L. floccosa, and L. douglasii. Differences among species for oil content, fatty acid composition, and seed weight were statistically as large as the estimates of interpopulation variances. A pilot study of heritability and interpopulational variation was carried out, using material from five collections, for oil content, component fatty acids, number of seeds per flower, flower number, branch number, plant height, and seed weight. Parentprogeny regression coefficients, calculated for the first four of these characters, indicated low heritability; likewise, the estimates of genetic component between vs. within families varied depending on the character and population involved. Correlations between several growth and reproductive characters suggested that yield components such as flower number, branching, and seed set per flower could be simultaneously improved by selection in the progeny of interpopulation hybrids.
Published Version
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